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Here are the most interesting stories Wednesday morning in the AFC East:

• After an extended wait, Buffalo Bills defensive end Mario Williams chose No. 94 with his new team.

Morning take: Williams wanted No. 90, but veteran Chris Kelsay wouldn’t give it up. No. 94 will have to do for Williams in Buffalo.

• In light of concussions, the father of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said he would be hesitant to let his son play football.

Morning take: Fortunately for Patriots fans, it’s too late. Brady has had an amazing career in New England. We will have more on Brady later today.

• The New York Jets' three safeties have a history of struggles against the pass.

Morning take: LaRon Landry, Yeremiah Bell and Eric Smith are not cover safeties. They have other strengths, but opponents will test their pass coverage often.

• Miami Dolphins rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill says he has to get use to the speed of the game.

Morning take: No shocker there. That is the biggest adjustment from the colleges to the pros. Tannehill will be fine. It will take time to play faster.

It was not a quiet seven days in the AFC East. Here is my take on several recent events that happened while I was away on vacation:

No. 1: Wes Welker finally signs franchise tender

Walker's take: In one of the final columns I wrote before vacation, I said Welker would be silly to fight the New England Patriots. Many have tried and failed. Welker is no exception. Welker briefly tried anyway by making a series of media appearances, including a trip to ESPN headquarters in Bristol, to win over public opinion. But none of that works with New England. The Patriots are emotionless in negotiations. Business is business. Welker did the smart thing by taking the guaranteed $9.5 million New England is offering. The Patriots may decide later to offer Welker an extension before the season starts, but only if they feel it's best for the team.

No. 2: Yeremiah Bell signs with the Jets

Walker's take: The New York Jets bolstered their safety position with the signing of Bell, who is a solid addition this late in free agency. The problem I have is Bell is similar to fellow free-agent signing LaRon Landry. Both are great tacklers, but the pair struggle in coverage. Will Landry or Bell play free safety and attempt to cover tight ends and receivers going across the middle? Neither is a good option. Eric Smith is probably a little better in coverage, but he's not a viable starter. The Jets did not improve their pass coverage this offseason, which is a major issue.

No. 3: Darrelle Revis and others talk up Tim Tebow

Walker's take: Either the Jets are naïve to this Tebow situation or they really don't care. But Revis, linebacker Bart Scott, head coach Rex Ryan and offensive coordinator Tony Sparano are among those who are really talking up Tebow this offseason. They are adding to the already immense hype, saying how great Tebow looks in practice and how his natural leadership already is showing through. I said weeks ago the Jets need to be careful about hyping the backup quarterback. It only makes it tougher on starter Mark Sanchez. The Jets obviously want and expect Sanchez to do well. But if he struggles early, this offseason Tebow talk could come back to haunt the Jets.

No. 4: Patriots meet with Dallas Clark

Walker's take: This is a classic case of Patriot bargain hunting. Does New England need another pass-catching tight end? Absolutely not. The Patriots have two of the league's best in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Clark would be the third tight end, at best, if he could beat out free-agent signing Daniel Fells. But Clark, 32, is still on the market. So the Patriots are not afraid to visit and see if they can get the former Pro Bowler dirt cheap. It would be unnecessary for New England to sign Clark. But the team is trying to add as much talent as possible under the cap and figure it can sort things out later.

This week the AFC East blog will look at each division team and examine the biggest needs entering free agency and the draft. On Tuesday we start with the New York Jets, who finished 8-8 last season.

No. 1 need: Safety

Analysis: The Jets are hurting badly at safety. Opponents found the weakness in New York's defense last season by avoiding corners Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie and attacking the middle of the field. The Jets allowed several big games by tight ends last season. Starting safety Jim Leonhard is coming off a season-ending knee injury and is a free agent. He probably won't find a job until he's 100 percent again, which could be several months down the line. The other starter, Eric Smith, struggled mightily in 2011. The Jets need upgrades at both safety spots, making it doubly tough to fill this position. Look for New York to address this need in both the draft and free agency. Fortunately for New York, there are plenty of good safeties entering free agency this year.

No. 2 need: Right tackle

Analysis: The Jets surprised many by guaranteeing Wayne Hunter’s contract for 2012, but that doesn't guarantee he will be a starter. Hunter was very inconsistent last season, and the Jets need help at right tackle to give quarterback Mark Sanchez enough time in the pocket. Hunter was better in a backup role than as a full-time starter. Perhaps getting help at right tackle would upgrade the starting position and help Hunter, who would be in a more comfortable role.

No. 3 need: Receiver

Analysis: With starting receiver Plaxico Burress about to hit free agency and unlikely to return, the Jets need to find another starting-caliber receiver for their 25th-ranked offense. Jeremy Kerley (a 2011 draft pick) showed flashes last season. He caught 29 passes for 314 yards and one touchdown. But Kerley may not be ready for a starting role. The Jets could use a big and fast receiver via the draft or free agency to pair with Santonio Holmes.

That is our list. But feel free to let the AFC East blog know what you think New York's biggest need is by voting in our SportsNation poll.

Plenty of focus this week has been on the New England Patriots, who are the only division team remaining in the playoffs. However, let's briefly put the spotlight on the other three teams already planning for the offseason ahead.

Here is one free-agency question we have for each team.

1. Will the Miami Dolphins go after Matt Flynn?

Analysis: Dolphins owner Stephen Ross was clear in saying the team needs a long-term franchise quarterback to make it to the next level. Matt Moore is a great backup and part-time starter. But he is not capable of leading Miami to a Super Bowl. Unfortunately for Miami, the team is in a tough spot trying to find a starting quarterback. The Dolphins will pick No. 8 or No. 9 in the NFL draft, depending on a coin flip with the Carolina Panthers. Miami’s pick will be too low to land Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck or Baylor’s Robert Griffin III in April’s draft. It’s possible the Dolphins could look to move up into the top three picks. But there are no guarantees. Moving up would be costly and other quarterback-needy teams could be interested in doing the same. Something the Dolphins could control is pursuing pending Green Bay Packers free-agent quarterback Matt Flynn. He has been Aaron Rodgers' backup for four years and is looking to get his own opportunity next season. Flynn looked great in limited playing time. He threw for 480 yards and six touchdowns in Green Bay’s Week 17 victory over the Detroit Lions. That performance will make Flynn a lot of money if he hits the open market. The Dolphins should be one of the first suitors in line.

2. Do the New York Jets need two safeties?

Analysis: It’s easy to focus on the quarterback position. But any chance of the Jets trading for or signing Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is mere speculation unless he becomes available. But what is clear is New York needs a lot of help at the safety position. Starter Jim Leonhard and top backup Brodney Pool are both free agents, and Eric Smith struggled last season. The Jets may need to sign and/or draft two starting-caliber safeties next season. Opponents eventually figured out you can attack New York’s defense by avoiding the corners and throwing over the middle. Tight ends, in particular, had huge days against the Jets’ defense. Teams will continue to attack the Jets over the middle next season unless they drastically upgrade at safety.

3. Will the Buffalo Bills really chase big names?

Analysis: I like what I’m hearing from Buffalo general manager Buddy Nix. According to Nix, Buffalo can -- and will -- spend to the salary cap this offseason. That should be music to Bills fans’ ears. Buffalo has been notorious for not doing much in free agency. Nix and head coach Chan Gailey both know 2012 is a big year for the current regime. The Bills are showing slight improvement (4-12 in 2010, 6-10 in 2011) but need to make a bigger jump next season. Spending to the cap would help. The Bills have big holes at several key positions and there are a lot of players available. A pass-rusher is perhaps the Bills’ biggest need. One player I’d like to see on Buffalo’s radar would be Houston Texans defensive end/linebacker Mario Williams. The former No. 1 overall pick will be an unrestricted free agent coming off a season-ending pectoral injury. Houston’s defense finished second in total defense and looked fine without Williams. If the Texans aren’t willing to pay a huge extension or give Williams the franchise tag, he could provide the pass rush the Bills need.

The New York Jets' locker room didn't seem optimistic about Jim Leonhard's knee injury after Sunday's 37-10 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. And according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, it was for good reason.

Mehta reports that Leonhard will be out for the season with a knee injury. Leonhard's leg was twisted after making a second-quarter interception that led to a New York touchdown.

This is an important loss for the Jets. Leonhard played for several years in head coach Rex Ryan's system with the Jets and Baltimore Ravens. In many ways, Leonhard was the quarterback on the back end and New York's best safety.

Brodney Pool will fill in for Leonhard and combine with safety Eric Smith.

Thoughts from the Jets 27-7 preseason win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

WHAT IT MEANS: Rebounding from a so-so performance last week, the New York Jets improved in all phases and defeated the helpless Cincinnati Bengals on a rainy Sunday night at New Meadowlands Stadium. Plaxico Burress was the star, but this was more than a one-man show. Midway through the preseason, the Jets (1-1) have to feel good about themselves. And there appeared to be no major injuries.

LIKE OLD TIMES: Burress made his Jets debut and gave the rain-soaked fans what they wanted -- a moment to talk about. The moment came with 51 seconds left in the second quarter, when he made an over-the-shoulder, 26-yard touchdown catch. With his back to Mark Sanchez, Burress threw his 6-foot-5 body into a dive, securing the high, arching pass as he skidded across the wet turf.

With that one play, Burress announced his return to football. After nearly two years in prison, he was back, demonstrating the kind of athleticism you wouldn’t expect from a 34-year-old receiver that spent that much time in the big house. It came against a backup cornerback named Fred Bennett, but that didn’t matter. It was all about body control, hand-eye coordination and sticky hands.

Burress played 30 of 32 plays in the first half, finishing with three catches for 66 yards. Translation: A smashing debut.

SANCHEZ ROCKS: After an efficient but largely non-descript performance last week, Sanchez (12-for-20, 173 yards, two TDs) delivered some big plays in the passing game. The protection was better this week, thanks to the return of All-Pro center Nick Mangold. He led the offense to two touchdowns (drives of 16 and 99 yards) and a field goal in seven possessions, wrapping up the night with a 10-play, 99-yard touchdown drive.

Until then, the Sanchez-led offense was like the weather -- blah. In fact, the Jets started 0-for-6 on third down. The turning point was a 43-yard pass to a wide-open Dustin Keller, providing good field position after being backed up at their 1. From there, Sanchez hit Keller on a third-down catch, setting up the Burress highlight-film catch.

WIDE-OPEN OFFENSE: For the second straight week, the Jets relied heavily on a three-receiver attack. In fact, they used their “11” personnel package (3 WRs, 1 TE, 1RB) on 19 of 32 plays in the first half. With Derrick Mason (knee) sitting out, they used Burress, Santonio Holmes (16-yard TD) and rookie Jeremy Kerley in three-wide packages.

NO GROUND AND POUND: By placing an emphasis on the passing attack -- a necessity, given the new parts -- the running game was out of sync. LaDainian Tomlinson got the start with Shonn Greene (foot) out of the lineup, and the 32-year-old looked a bit sluggish. He rushed for 16 yards on nine carries. Tomlinson got a lot of work, appearing in 31 of 32 plays in the first half. Joe McKnight and Bilal Powell didn’t see significant time until the second half.

OPPORTUNISTIC D: The Jets roughed up the offensively challenged Bengals, intercepting three passes -- Eric Smith, Jim Leonhard and Brashton Satele. The three turnovers set up 17 points for the Jets, and that was pretty much the story of the game. Keep in mind, the Bengals no longer have Carson (I Wanna Retire) Palmer at quarterback. They started rookie Andy Dalton and replaced him with journeyman Bruce Gradkowski.

WELCOME MAYBIN: Bills castoff Aaron Maybin, the 11th overall pick in the 2009 draft, made his presence felt in his Jets debut. After only three days of practice with the team, Maybin recorded a strip sack on Bengals third-string QB Jordan Palmer. Hey, that might have been enough to grab a spot on the 53-man roster.

Sean McCormick of Football Outsiders takes a look at the biggest remaining questions for each team in the AFC East in this ESPN.com Insider piece. Here's a snippet of what he thinks of each team:

Buffalo Bills:

There was simply no way the Bills were going to be able to adequately address all their holes in the space of a single offseason, and to their credit, they haven't thrown lots of money around trying to. Ryan Fitzpatrick isn't a long-term solution at quarterback -- he may not even be a short-term solution -- but there were no surefire prospects worth burning a top-five draft pick on, and the free agent pickings were slim, particularly if you didn't want to give away the farm for Kevin Kolb. …

The right tackle spot, however, isn't a hole but a canyon, and it doesn't look like Buffalo has done enough to address it. The Bills were 30th in adjusted line yards on runs off right tackle, but that doesn't begin to tell the tale.

Miami Dolphins:

If you were to simply look at the statistics, quarterback would not necessarily be the biggest hole on the Dolphins. Safety Chris Clemons struggled badly getting to the sidelines to provide help over the top and offenses frequently targeted him in isolation in the deep middle of the field; the interior line could use some more help even after Mike Pouncey is inserted into the starting lineup and of course, the special teams were consistently horrific from beginning to end. …

Of course, there are lots of things that statistics don't cover, and it's those things that turned Henne's season from disappointing to catastrophic. Brandon Marshall publicly allied with backup Tyler Thigpen, and took his grievances with Henne to the airwaves, complaining about Henne's refusal to throw him the ball with sufficient frequency. Henne was benched during the season, reclaimed his starting job only because of injuries, and then was injured himself.

New England Patriots:

The hot story out of Providence is that Bill Belichick seems to be abandoning his traditional 3-4 defense in favor of a 4-3, and that the Patriots have primarily been working with 4-3 Under and Over fronts in the first days of training camp. The release of Ty Warren and the trade for Albert Haynesworth could be viewed as additional evidence of a shift, as Warren is a prototypical five-technique while Haynesworth has done his best work in a 4-3 set. The real issue is finding someone who can rush off the edge, whether standing up or from a three-point stance.

New York Jets:

Aside from his foray into the Nnamdi Asomugha sweepstakes, general manager Mike Tannenbaum has largely been content to re-sign his players or to extend the contracts of younger stars. The big name was obviously Santonio Holmes, but Tannenbaum also locked up Antonio Cromartie and Eric Smith, extended David Harris another four years, and returned Donald Strickland, who had played for the team in 2009, to replace the departed Drew Coleman. Although maintaining continuity isn't always a good thing -- Carolina's decision to spend vast sums to return the young core of their 2-14 team comes immediately to mind -- the Jets fielded one of the most talented teams in the league last season, and the talent was fairly evenly distributed on both offense and defense.

If the Jets are going to take a step forward, they don't necessarily need to sign a bunch of free agents. What they do need is for Mark Sanchez to take another step forward in his development, and preferably a big step. So how best to ensure that your young quarterback has all the weapons he needs? How about signing a 34-year-old receiver who has been in jail for the past two years?

» NFC: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South » Unrestricted FAs

Readiness factor: The Jets' coaching staff and much of the roster will remain intact, which reduces the learning curve. But the Jets won't have training-camp bonding time at SUNY Cortland, an enhancement Rex Ryan and his players prized the past two seasons. They already pulled the plug on their upstate training camp and will convene at team headquarters in Florham Park, N.J.

Biggest challenge: All their free agents. The Jets have some biggies, most notably at wide receiver. They must keep young quarterback Mark Sanchez's support staff stocked with weapons, and receivers Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards and Brad Smith are about to hit the market. So are cornerback Antonio Cromartie and safeties Brodney Pool, Eric Smith and James Ihedigbo.

What a rush: The Jets quietly tied for eighth in the NFL in sacks last season but didn't have a fearsome presence in an overall defense designed to create mayhem. Of the 40 sacks they recorded last season, more than a quarter of them belonged to defensive backs and almost half were rung up by players who aren't under contract. The Jets released outside linebacker Jason Taylor (5 sacks). Defensive end Shaun Ellis (4.5 sacks) also has an expired contract.

Key players without contracts for 2011: In addition to the above, fullback Tony Richardson, cornerback Drew Coleman, top special-teams tackler Lance Laury, kicker Nick Folk, punter Steve Weatherford.

Random thoughts and observations as we head into the homestretch of the lockout:

If free agency starts next Saturday, the latest tentative starting date, it'll make for a bizarro training camp. For the first few days of camp, teams will have swiss-cheese depth charts as their free agents shop the open market.

Imagine what it'll be like for the Jets: They will have Jerricho Cotchery (if medically cleared) and Patrick Turner as their starting wide receivers, with Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards and Brad Smith potentially shopping for deals. At safety, you could see Jim Leonhard (if cleared) and Dwight Lowery, with Brodney Pool, Eric Smith and James Ihedigbo testing the market.

On, say, Day 3, they could have a new starting receiver show up, maybe Randy Moss. He'll sign his contract, receive a playbook and be sent out to the field to meet his new teammates. It's going to be chaos. It'll be a distraction for players and coaches, all of them wondering who's coming and who's going. It'll be taxing for the coaches, who will have to spend extra time teaching the system to new players. It'll be minicamp, OTAs and training camp all in one, with a revolving door of players. Fasten your seatbelt.

• I'm all for player safety, but the elimination of two-a-days and the reduction of padded practices in the regular season (only 14) is a bit ridiculous. Come on, it's football, not lawn tennis. I agree with Bart Scott; it'll make player soft. The product on the field will suffer, especially the tackling. Old-school coaches believe players lose their edge when they're not practicing in pads.

• The elimination of the No. 3 quarterback on the game-day roster, one of the proposed changes in the CBA, will increase the value of free agent-to-be Smith. A former college quarterback at Missouri, Smith can be the unofficial/emergency No. 3 while playing all his other roles. He'll save a roster spot or two, and that has value.

• I don't know Robert Kraft, and I didn't know his late wife, Myra, but after reading all the tributes and seeing the number of players and former players that attended her funeral (including Curtis Martin), it's not hard to see why the Patriots are such a well-run organization.

• You give Mike Tannenbaum six months to prepare for free agency, and you have to expect a big-splash move that catches people by surprise. He's not the wallflower type. If you're a Jets fan, though, you have to hope he doesn't outhink himself.

• If I'm the Jets and I can get Nnamdi Asomugha for Darrelle Revis money (about $11.5 million per year), with a creative, backloaded deal, I'd do it. I'd rather spend a few million more for Asomugha instead of overpaying Antonio Cromartie. How often does a player of Asomugha's caliber hit the open market? I say go for it.

• Question for owners: Was it really worth it?

Buffalo Bills

Here is a look at what each Bills draft pick from the 2010 class needs to do to improve himself on the field this fall.

Miami Dolphins

Receiver Brandon Marshall has taken a vow of silence (no tweeting, no interviews) and dedicated this summer to regaining his 4.4 speed. To do so, he’s returned to the training program he had coming into the 2006 draft.

Former Dolphins quarterback Pat White signed with the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League.

New England Patriots

Here is a look at how some prominent Patriots have remained busy during the lockout.

New York Jets

Safety Eric Smith has moved back in with his parents in Ohio.

Veteran running back LaDainian Tomlinson has no problem with being primarily a third-down back at this stage of his career.

Here's some news that will make New York Jets fans -- and anybody who roots for overachievers -- smile.

Jets safety Jim Leonhard, one of the NFL's great stories of perseverance, has recovered from the horrible leg injury that ended his season at Thanksgiving. Leonhard missed the Jets' final five regular-season games and the entire playoffs with a broken right shin bone.

He told Newark Star-Ledger reporter Jenny Vrentas he recently was cleared for full football workouts after three months of grueling rehabilitation.

"This week was a definitely a huge breakthrough," Leonhard told Vrentas. "I felt I could push as hard as I wanted to and not have setbacks. ... I'm getting excited. I want to play football and prove I'm back; prove I’ve done the work to get back."

Proving people wrong is how Leonhard made his career. He walked on at Wisconsin, wasn't drafted, latched on with the Buffalo Bills and eventually became a favorite of Rex Ryan with the Baltimore Ravens before joining the Jets.

Leonhard's health is pivotal for the Jets' secondary. As a veteran of Ryan's defenses, Leonhard made all the defensive backfield calls on the field. His return also is critical because three other Jets safeties -- Brodney Pool, Eric Smith, James Ihedigbo -- are free agents.

ESPN's reports from Chicago indicate the latest labor proposal would allow players to become unrestricted free agents after four seasons.

That would clarify the market whenever it opens. Rules for the uncapped 2010 campaign didn't allow for unfettered free agency unless a player had been in the league six seasons. Any player with an expired contract and fewer than six years of experience was a restricted free agent, allowing teams to place qualifying tenders on them and receive compensation if another club tried to sign them.

Now it looks like players will be up for grabs -- with former teams receiving no compensation -- after four seasons.

Here are the AFC East players who would've been restricted with the six-year threshold but unrestricted at four years:

Buffalo Bills

• Keith Ellison, linebacker
• Quinton Ganther, running back
• John McCargo, defensive end
• Paul Posluszny, inside linebacker
• Donte Whitner, safety
• Ashton Youboty, cornerback

Miami Dolphins

• Tony McDaniel, defensive tackle
• Quentin Moses, outside linebacker
• Tyler Thigpen, quarterback

New England Patriots

• Logan Mankins, guard (franchise tagged)
• Quinn Ojinnaka, tackle
• Jarrad Page, safety

New York Jets

• Kellen Clemens, quarterback
• Drew Coleman, cornerback
• Antonio Cromartie, cornerback
• Nick Folk, kicker
• Santonio Holmes, receiver
• James Ihedigbo, safety
• Lance Laury, linebacker
• Brad Smith, kick returner
• Eric Smith, safety
• Steve Weatherford, punter

Mankins' situation remains uncertain because we don't know if franchise-tag rules will remain in place under the next CBA. They probably will, meaning Mankins should be back with the Patriots in 2011.

While yakking with a key starter from last year's New York Jets squad this week, I asked a question I posed on the AFC East blog last month and have addressed regularly in my weekly chat.

What team is the class of the division? The New England Patriots, coming off 14 victories and another title? Or the Jets, who knocked the Patriots out of the playoffs and reached their second straight AFC Championship Game?

"Until we dethrone them," he said, "the Patriots are the class of the AFC East. That's the bottom line. There's no other way to slice it. You've got to knock them off the pedestal. That's goal No. 1, winning the division. That's the easiest way to get to the ultimate goal of the Super Bowl."

That comment alone wasn't enough for the player to request anonymity, but the next part of our conversation made him feel it was necessary for the sake of diplomacy and because he wants to keep his job next season.

I wanted to know more. To extract his veteran insight on the state of the Jets, I asked what his game plan would be if I could appoint him general manager for the next couple months.

How would he get the Jets over the hump from runners-up to AFC East champs and into the Super Bowl? He must have pondered that very question over the past few months because, without much thought, he rattled off six key steps to propelling the Jets upward.

Here they are, in order of what he felt was most important, along with his reasoning:

1. Re-sign receiver Santonio Holmes.

"You have to do that," our embedded analyst said. The Jets have three prominent free-agent receivers, but Holmes must be the priority over Braylon Edwards and Brad Smith. Holmes missed four games while serving a suspension but made 52 catches for 746 yards and six touchdowns. He was a clutch performer and added a couple more touchdowns in the playoffs.

"If I had to choose between Santonio, Braylon or Brad Smith -- I don't think you can re-sign them all -- I'll take Santonio because of his body of work," the Jets insider said. "He's more established."

Smith averaged 28.6 yards on kickoff returns and scored two touchdowns, and was the club's third-leading rusher with 299 yards and a TD as a gadget quarterback. The Jets led the NFL in average start position after a kickoff (at the 31.5-yard line). But the insider said revamped kickoff rules would neutralize Smith's impact in 2011.

The possibility of signing Plaxico Burress is intriguing and could help the Jets cope with any inability to re-sign Edwards or Smith. As for whether Burress would be a problem for head coach Rex Ryan, the insider laughed.

"With everything we have in our organization, he'd be just one of the guys," he said. "He wouldn't stand out like a sore thumb.

"Guys just love playing for Rex. With Rex's personality and the way he runs the show, Plaxico would just fit right in. Rex doesn't have problems with guys who have so-called character issues or big personalities. Rex is a big personality himself. A guy like Plaxico would do well with the Jets."

2. Get inside linebacker David Harris signed to a long-term contract.

Harris led the Jets with 119 tackles. He recorded three sacks, 14 quarterback hits, a forced fumble and a recovery.

He signed his franchise tender and is under contract for next season, but he'll be a free agent again next offseason unless the Jets broker another deal before then.

"I've got to lock up David Harris," the insider said. "He's one of the more underrated defenders in the league. I've got to get him signed long-term."

3. Re-sign cornerback Antonio Cromartie.

Another significant free agent, Cromartie helped limit opposing quarterbacks to a 50.7 completion percentage -- lowest in the league by far -- and a 77.1 passer rating. He notched 42 tackles, three interceptions and a team-high 18 passes defensed.

Besides, the Jets invested too much in him to let him stroll for nothing this summer.

"If I gave up a second-round pick for the guy, I don't want to see him walk out the door," the insider said. "That would be a high draft pick I'd wasted.

"Plus, with no offseason to monitor the young players, I don't know what I have with Kyle Wilson. The team hasn't had a chance to coach him up. He didn't do the things the team expected last year. So I need to get Antonio Cromartie back to make sure I shore up the secondary."

4. Find a pass-rusher or two.

One of the Jets' biggest perceived weaknesses heading into the offseason was their inability to generate a more formidable pass rush last season.

"This team has a defensive scheme that can be dangerous with a pass rush," the insider said. "We had a great group, but that'll make my defense even stronger."

Outside linebacker Jason Taylor's status is in question. The Jets cut him, but it's not unfathomable he could return. Last year's regular starters, Calvin Pace and Bryan Thomas, are under contract. Thomas recorded a team-high six sacks last season, while Pace had 5.5 sacks. Taylor added five more. Those aren't fearsome numbers.

Football Outsiders charted the Jets for 117.5 hurries (seventh in the NFL), but just 38 quarterback hits (tied for 23rd).

5. Sign a free-agent right tackle.

The Jets released Damien Woody after the season, but published reports before the lockout indicated the club was interested in bringing him back.

Woody can't provide many guarantees in what would be his 13th NFL season. Although he has been to the Pro Bowl, is one of few players on last year's roster who owns a Super Bowl ring and started 13 games last season, there are injury concerns. He battled knee problems before an Achilles' injury landed him on injured reserve in the playoffs.

There don't appear to be any solutions on the roster. Last year's second-round draft choice, Vladimir Ducasse, was a tackle at Boston College but was unable to win a job at guard. Woody's reliable backup, Wayne Hunter, is a free agent.

6. Identify a safety to solidify the secondary, looking first at Brodney Pool.

The Jets' best safety, Jim Leonhard, is coming off a broken shin that had him limited to a scooter during rehab. Pool, Eric Smith and James Ihedigbo all are free agents.

Pool started 12 games. He ranked fourth in tackles with 63. He registered a sack, an interception, nine passes defenses, a forced fumble and a recovery. Smith started six games and was fifth with 57 tackles. He also made an impact on special teams (19 tackles), as did Ihedigbo (27 tackles).

"I would try to get Brodney Pool or Eric Smith back," the Jets insider said. "Both played well down the stretch, but I think Brodney Pool was a guy who, as it got later in the season, really picked up the scheme and became a playmaker at the safety position."

I found the insider's opinions to be insightful. Nowhere among the list of issues to address were quarterback Mark Sanchez, left guard or kicker Nick Folk. The obviously aren't major concerns with this veteran player.

Once the lockout concludes, we'll see how much the anonymous player's wish list jibes with Mike Tannenbaum's.

» NFC labor impact: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

A team-by-team look at how a continued labor impasse and extended NFL freeze on transactions would affect the division:

Buffalo Bills: The Bills are a young team that built momentum toward the end of last season. They went 4-4 in the second half. Over a six-game stretch in October and November, they went 2-4, and each loss was by three points to an eventual playoff team. Three of those losses were in overtime.

A prolonged work stoppage would stunt Buffalo's development. Coach Chan Gailey is entering his second year but his first offseason with Ryan Fitzpatrick as starting quarterback. The Bills also could draft a quarterback next month but they wouldn't be able to sign him or work with him until there's a new collective bargaining agreement.

Inexperienced players with one or two years dot the roster: running back C.J. Spiller, guards Eric Wood and Andy Levitre, nose tackle Torell Troup, outside linebackers Aaron Maybin and Arthur Moats and safety Jairus Byrd. They would benefit from as much prep time as they can get.

Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins' offense will have serious difficulty taking shape if there's a long work stoppage. Incumbent quarterback Chad Henne wouldn't be on the securest footing if we were heading into a normal offseason. The Dolphins were frustrated enough to remove him as their starter twice last year. Now he's working with a new offensive coordinator, Brian Daboll, and new quarterbacks coach, Karl Dorrell, who never has been a quarterbacks coach before.

Henne got a head start on his offseason by meeting with Daboll and Dorrell to try to absorb as much of the playbook as he could. Henne intends to communicate Daboll's philosophies to his teammates with informal workouts in South Florida.

That's where the Dolphins can have an advantage if they remain diligent. A large percentage of their players maintain homes in South Florida, making it easy for them to assemble for group sessions.

All of Henne's work could be rendered moot if the Dolphins want to acquire another quarterback, but then they'll have another problem. Until there's a new CBA, teams cannot sign free agents or make player trades. That means the Dolphins are in limbo if they want to make a play for an intriguing group of candidates that includes Kevin Kolb, Kyle Orton, Carson Palmer, Donovan McNabb and Vince Young.

New England Patriots: If any team can withstand a protracted work stoppage, it's the reigning AFC East champions. The Patriots have a solid roster filled with veterans, particularly on offense. Their coaching staff remained mostly intact. They're flush with draft picks.

The biggest impact probably would be felt on defense, where the Patriots sometimes started four rookies: end Brandon Deaderick, outside linebacker Jermaine Cunningham, inside linebacker Brandon Spikes and cornerback Devin McCourty.

Although a couple of veteran defenders returning from injuries (defensive end Ty Warren and cornerback Leigh Bodden) should help stabilize them, the Patriots will have difficulty coaching up their youngsters and improving their terrible third-down defense in a compacted offseason.

Another issue could be the way the Patriots flip through interchangeable parts. The Patriots are adept at discovering undrafted free agents and reclaiming other teams' castoffs, while constantly overturning the bottom of their roster. With no CBA, those roster moves cannot happen.

New York Jets: Free agency will be the Jets' biggest issue if a work stoppage drags out. They have the most free agents in the AFC East and declined to re-sign any of them, aside from placing the franchise tag on inside linebacker David Harris. The Jets didn't want to make any decisions until they knew what the next CBA looked like. That created several questions up and down the roster.

Receiver is the biggest question mark. Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards are without contracts, and quarterback Mark Sanchez needs a strong supporting cast. On defense, safety is a concern with Brodney Pool, Eric Smith and James Ihedigbo about to be free agents, too.

No CBA means the Jets won't be able to sign incoming free agents either. Polls have shown players around the league would love to play for Rex Ryan more than any other coach. But the Jets can't use that to their advantage until there's a new deal.

» NFC Draft Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Each Thursday leading up to the NFL draft (April 28-30), the ESPN.com NFL blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today's topic: biggest team needs.

Buffalo Bills

Where would you like to start?

Offense? How about left tackle, right tackle, tight end and -- if there's a great one still on the draft board -- quarterback?

Defense? How about the line, outside linebacker, inside linebacker, cornerback and safety?

Special teams? OK, the Bills are fine there.

But kicker, punter and running back are about the only positions the Bills can draft third overall and not help themselves.

The most pressing needs, however, are tackle and outside linebacker. The Bills haven't drafted an offensive tackle earlier than the fifth round since taking Mike Williams in the first round in 2002, and their line play shows that. They have tried to coach up late draft picks (Demetrius Bell, Ed Wang) and rummaged through free agency (Cornell Green, Mansfield Wrotto, Jonathan Scott, Jamon Meredith) rather than acquire that prized blindside protector.

The Bills were so desperate at outside linebacker they plucked the injury-ravaged Shawne Merriman off waivers last year and then, even though he got hurt again minutes into his first workout, gave him a contract extension.

They can't bank on Merriman to anchor their pass rush. Yet even if he can contribute, they'll need more help. The Bills recorded 27 sacks last year. Only three teams had fewer.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins probably will need a running back. They could stand to upgrade at quarterback if they can.

But they definitely need interior offensive linemen.

They recently re-signed left guard Richie Incognito to an extension, but they still have problems at center and right guard. Although they have two solid book-end tackles in Pro perennial Bowl left tackle Jake Long and veteran Vernon Carey, they've been a mess in between for the past three years.

The Dolphins need to upgrade their power running game. Despite having a capable and healthy backfield tandem in Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams last season, the Dolphins ranked 21st in rushing yards, 29th in yards per carry and 29th in rushing touchdowns.

A stud running back certainly can help, and the Dolphins might have little choice but to take one with their 15th selection. Brown's and Williams' contracts are up. That's why so many draft analysts project the Dolphins will take Alabama running back Mark Ingram and then address the O-line later.

New England Patriots

Funny how things work for the Patriots when it comes to draft picks. The reigning AFC East champs might have the fewest needs but have the most draft picks at their disposal.

The Patriots went 14-2 last season and own two draft choices in each of the first three rounds. So the Patriots have the flexibility to go any number of directions.

The most obvious need is outside linebacker. The Patriots' entire outside linebacking corps mustered 13.5 sacks last year. Dolphins outside linebacker Cameron Wake generated 14 sacks all by himself.

Offensive line is another concern because there are so many question marks. Right guard Stephen Neal retired. Left guard Logan Mankins is upset. Left tackle Matt Light isn't signed. Nick Kaczur is coming off serious back surgery. The timing is right to bring in some fresh O-line blood.

The Patriots had one of the NFL's most entertaining backfields last year, with BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushing for over 1,000 yards and Danny Woodhead making the Jets look foolish for cutting him. But each running back has his limitations, and the Patriots could be on the lookout for an all-purpose back adept at catching a pass and converting a third-and-short.

New York Jets

The Jets are in a weird spot. They finished the season as a team with talent at virtually every position.

But they have a crowded group of free agents and couldn't bring themselves to sign any (aside from giving inside linebacker David Harris the franchise tag) until a new collective bargaining agreement was in place. The Jets want to know what the new salary cap is before moving forward.

That leaves a lot of loose ends for the Jets heading into the draft. Will they need a receiver to replace Santonio Holmes or Braylon Edwards? A cornerback to replace Antonio Cromartie?

The needs we can bank on are outside linebacker and safety.

The Jets must generate a better pass rush and still need to recover from the Vernon Gholston pick that set them back. Outside linebacker Bryan Thomas is competent, but no star. He led the Jets with just six sacks. Calvin Pace had 5.5 sacks. The recently released Jason Taylor added five.

Safety is an area of emphasis because they could have stood to upgrade even before Brodney Pool, Eric Smith and James Ihedigbo became free agents. Jim Leonhard is a Rex Ryan favorite but recovering from a broken shin.